Simplistic repetition is an age-old form of instruction that has proved its ability to impact the human mind. J.D. Salinger employs this basic tactic with his main character, Holden Caulfield, in his acclaimed novel The Catcher in the Rye. Appalled by the false world around him, Holden attacks it with the constant use of "phony" as a descriptive adjective for almost everything he sees. This five-letter word holds all of Holden's hatred for the insincerity around him. His intended connotation digs deeper than the mind may initially perceive. Although some may argue that Holden utilizes the word "phony" too freely, the word never loses its meaning, as the endless reiteration effectively hammers reference to the deterioration of society into the mind of the reader until he, too, is convinced.

To Holden "phony" defines people whose outward behavior conceals their inner thoughts and feelings. Holden presents his view...